Harry T. Reis, professor of psychology at the University of Rochester, has been elected president of the Society of Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP). With a worldwide membership of more than 4,500 researchers, SPSP is the largest organization dedicated to advancing the science of social-personality psychology. He is president-elect this year, will serve as president in 2007, and past-president in 2008.
Reis, who is among the leading scholars in the study of interpersonal relationships, is well-known for his studies of everyday social interaction using event-sampling techniques. From 1994 to 2004, he served as executive officer of SPSP. He is credited with expanding the organization of social and personality psychology researchers with new programs and increasing its membership. SPSP presented him with its Award for Distinguished Service in fall 2005.
Among other leadership roles in the field is his editorship of Current Directions in Psychological Science, an international journal that is one of two flagship journals of the American Psychological Society. The bimonthly publication targets new and significant research in all major fields of psychology, and disseminates cutting-edge research findings to a broad audience, including researchers in other disciplines and policy makers.
From 2000 to 2002, Reis was president of the International Society for the Study of Personal Relationships. He also has been a member and chair of the American Psychological Association's Board of Scientific Affairs, and currently is president of the APA's division 8. From 1985 to 1990, Reis was editor of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
He is the author or co-author of more than 100 publications, and has been awarded several federally funded research grants. He earned his doctorate in psychology from New York University.